This invention relates to an apparatus for making toasted bread slices.
It is a known fact that in the making of toasted bread slices on a commercial scale, tunnel-type ovens are generally employed which are some length and passed through continuously by an endless net-type belt conveyor whereon slices of bread to be toasted are laid in a plurality of adjacent rows which may include up to 30-40 such rows of slices.
The tunnel-type oven is equipped with suitable heaters which are distributed along the oven length and operated to establish, throughout the oven length, a temperature diagram which is pre-set experimentally for optimum toasting of the slices.
Also known is, however, that despite the care and engineering applied to the process, the slices in the first and last rows frequently reveal, on exiting the oven, excess toasting or even peripheral burning which may vary in extent but nearly always result in these having to be discarded.
In consideration of that the slices in the other rows are toasted in full conformity with their commercially applicable standards, and in particular that the slices in the central rows show optimum toasting, it has been thought that the problem was due to the slices in the first and last rows being thermally unprotected by any other slices along their outward sides, being instead exposed to an amount of heat and temperatures which are apparently excessive.
Efforts made to lower the oven temperature, while possibly extending the residence time of the slices to be toasted therein, have yielded negative results, mainly on account of difficulties in effectively controlling the temperatures and the complexity brought about by the provision of additional heating means.
The underlying problem of this invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for making toasted bread slices on a commercial scale, thereby definitely obviating the above-noted technical drawback in a simple and economical way.